Accra, the venue for 2025 World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) pulsates with an electric charge, the unmistakable aura of champions in their element.
Leading the charge is Engineer Bright Idahosa, the newly minted President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), whose bold leadership has turned the art of wordplay into a powerful arsenal and unshakeable conviction into a defining trait of Nigerian scrabble.
According to a press release signed by Maxwell Kumoye, under his watchful eye, Team Nigeria’s presence at the 2025 World English Scrabble Players Association Championship (WESPAC) is nothing short of a national statement, bold, brilliant, and beautifully intimidating.
“The weight of over 200 million Nigerians is on our shoulders here in Accra,” Idahosa declared, his voice a mix of burden and belief. “There is no margin for error.”
For Idahosa, this championship is more than a contest of tiles, it is the opening chapter of a new era for Nigerian Scrabble, one defined by purpose, pride, and power.
He has been, quite literally, burning the candle at both ends to ensure that Nigeria’s story in Accra is not only victorious, but unforgettable.
Support flows from every corner, individuals, corporate bodies, and the National Sports Commission, yet Idahosa, like Oliver Twist, wants more. More backing, more belief, more bite.
His energy has infected the entire federation. From the technical savvy bench to the players, Nigeria’s campaign in Accra feels like a crusade for glory.
In this charge, he is not alone. Heavyweights like Engineer Ojior Osikhena, a rare blend of competitor and motivator and eight other board members including Engineer Olobatoke Aka, Dipo Akanbi, Khaleel Adedeji, Hakeem Olayiwola Olaribigbe, Sani Ladan, Engineer Gbenga Ojofeitimi, and Vice President Lovejoy Ogbuokiri Ezinna, have created an unbreakable spine of leadership and solidarity.
The very powerful Lekki Scrabble Club has a strong delegation led by its President Samuel Anikoh.
Charles Uzamere playing in the side event – Sika and Nsikan Iyanam who advanced into the elite division through the Last Chance Qualifier are part of the Lekki Scrabble Club family in Accra to add some fillips to Team Nigeria.
At the opening rally, Adedeji’s words rang through the Nigerian camp like a war drum:
“Every tile you place, every word you form, and every point you earn carries the hopes and pride of millions back home. You are the face of excellence, resilience, and the Nigerian spirit on the world stage.”
And that spirit, fierce, faithful, and fearless, is what Coach Prince Anthony Ikolo is banking on.
“We’ve done our homework,” Ikolo said, brimming with quiet confidence. “We’ll smile back to Abuja with the diadems, in both team and individual categories God’s willing.”
From the experienced hands of Oluwatimilehin Doko, Africa’s current No.1, to the young talents making their WESPAC debut, the message is clear, Nigeria has come not to participate, but to dominate.
Former NSF President Engineer Olobatoke Aka, now an elder statesman of the sport, he is convinced that this is Nigeria’s hour of glory.
Twenty green-and-white warriors have stepped onto the global stage, each one carrying a piece of the nation’s dream. And as they battle in the Gateway to Africa, it’s Bright Idahosa’s vision that lights the way, a vision of unity, integrity, and triumph.
“Because when Team Nigeria plays, it’s not just Scrabble. It’s spelling out destiny, one word at a time,” the Edo State born sports administrator concluded.
